3/14/19 – 5:21 A.M.

Hancock County has seen a sharp increase in traffic fatalities so far this year. Five crashes have killed eight people since the start of 2019. There were 11 traffic deaths in Hancock County in 2018.

The State Highway Patrol says factors in the crashes include driving at unsafe speeds, driving left of center, and failure to yield. The Patrol says distracted driving crashes are also increasing.

Four people killed in crashes this year were not wearing seatbelts.